Capacitive measurement device
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorKen Fuller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capacitive measurement device for indicating when two surfaces moving relative to each other are spaced less than a predetermined distance apart. The device comprises a probe having an elongated conductor, an insulating core, a conducting inner guard, an insulating interlayer, and a conducting sheath. A portion of the conductor, insulating core and conducting inner guard form a probe tip which extends beyond the insulating interlayer and conducting sheath by a predetermined offset. The probe is configured to extend from a first surface by a predetermined distance and to generate a signal when the tip is contacted by a second surface.
Claims20
A capacitive measurement device for indicating when two surfaces moving relative to each other are spaced less than a predetermined distance, said device comprising:
- at least one probe comprising:
- an elongated conductor;
- an insulating core radially encasing at least a portion of said conductor;
- a conducting inner guard radially encasing at least a portion of said insulating core;
- an insulating interlayer radially encasing at least a portion of said conducting inner guard;
- and
- a conducting sheath radially encasing at least a portion of said insulating interlayer,
- wherein a portion of said conductor, insulating core and conducting inner guard form a probe tip, said probe tip being carried by a first surface and extending a first predetermined distance from the first surface,
- wherein said probe is configured to generate a signal when said tip is contacted by a second surface moving relative to said probe tip to thereby indicate that the first and second surfaces are spaced less than the predetermined distance.
A capacitive measurement device for indicating when two objects moving relative to each other are spaced less than a predetermined distance, said device comprising:
- at least one elongated multilayer probe having a conductor forming the radial center thereof, a conducting sheath forming the radially outermost layer, and a plurality of alternating insulating and conducting layers disposed therebetween with each layer radially encasing the inner adjacent layer, said conductor and the next two radially outward layers extending beyond said conducting sheath and other layers at one end forming a probe tip, said probe tip being configured to generate an electrical signal when contacted by an object moving relative thereto,
- wherein said probe tip is positioned to extend a predetermined distance from the surface of a first object to thereby generate the signal to indicate when a surface of a second object moving relative to the first object is spaced less than the predetermined distance from the first object.
A real-time rub indicating system in a rotating machine comprising:
- a stationary component;
- a rotating component;
- a probe carried by said stationary component and extending a predetermined distance from a portion of said stationary component, said probe being configured to generate an electrical signal when contacted by a portion of said rotating component to thereby indicate when the portion of said stationary component is spaced less than the predetermined distance from the portion of said rotating component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.